Sea bass fillet recipe with orange and lemon compote

Sea bass, loup de mer, is a tasty white fish. In winter and spring it is regularly available in our local supermarket, usually already filleted and without skin. Sea bass is now farmed extensively in the Mediterranean, which has kept the price reasonable. It seems that the wild sea bass from Sète has become a luxurious product.

The delicate sea bass is best cooked simply. For this simple recipe, a really good and fruity olive oil is essential. I like Alziari Fruitée douce which is a classic olive oil from Nice. Alziari has a small and cosy traditional shop in Vieux Nice, 14 rue St Francois de Paule, not far from cours Saleya market place.

2 servings

2 nice loup fillets, about 150- 200 g each
2 tbsp fruity olive oil
1 orange
1 lemon
Freshly ground black pepper
Parsley to decorate

Preheat the oven to 200⁰ C, roast.

For the sauce, peel the orange and lemon. Divide into sections removing all the tough membranes. Warm 1 tbsp olive oil in a small casserole and simmer gently the lemon and orange sections. Grind over some black pepper. NB! Just warm gently the lemon and orange sections, do not cook. In 10- 15 minutes they will turn into a kind of compote.

Place the sea bass fillets on a baking tay Sprinkle 1 tbsp olive oil and grind a little black pepper over them. Roast for about 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets.

Divide the fish on the plates and spoon the orange- lemon compote over the fillets. Serve with new potatoes and wilted spinach. Decorate with parsley.